Carma is a born-again California Girl. She was born in southeast Los Angeles in 1958, but was unfortunately schooled in Utah, until she left, joined a commune, picked apples, had a baby, moved to Boston, moved back to Utah, married a drummer, moved to Los Angeles, and so on and so it goes with free-spirited individuals. She began writing science fiction in 1984 and is currently working on an exciting, hopefully hilarious new sci-fi novel planned for 2026 publication. Her pen name since 2012 is Carma Gagne Chan. (If you do not know how to pronounce Gagne, think champagne.)

Herzenity is Carma's brand and the name of her blogspot. Follow @herzenity or @herzenitypubs (publications).

Carma is an indie author and screenwriter, educated by UCLA Professor Richard Walter. She has written several original screenplays, the first won multiple awards for best script in screenwriting competitions. She began writing poetry and short stories at an early age, encouraged by teachers in elementary and secondary school. She was most influenced by American Poet E.E. Cummings and British Novelist Douglas Adams. Carma adores the art of Haiku.

Carma married Oliver Simonsen in 2014, but uses the pen name Carma Gagne Chan to preserve the heritage of Ruth Carrol Gagne and John Wang Leong Chan, her parents, and to carry on the legacy of her Grandpa Gagne. She has written biographical love stories about her Chinese stepdad (Sweet Like John) and her Gagne grandparents (Albert Loved Sylvia). She is now focused on expanding the 11D Zenyan Mythology series.